IT’S THE ONE YEAR BLOGOVERSARY OF THE SPIFFY COOKIE!

I cannot believe The Spiffy Cookie has already been a part of my life for a year. But at the same time, I cannot believe it’s ONLY been one year. How did I survive without you before, my spiffy cookie? What did I do before talking to all the food-blogging friends I have made about food and sometimes even non-food (gasp) things!?

Never did I dream that I would spend hours on Twitter. Let alone play on websites like StumbleUpon, Klout, Foodbuzz, and waste away in front of Pinterest (someone pin something new already!). I even have had one picture accepted to Tasteologie (I am pretty proud of that using just a Canon Powershot). Oh and don’t forget several Nutella recipes submitted over at bella nutella.

I remember the first day someone I didn’t know in real life commented on a recipe. Actually I remember the day even someone I do know in real life commented haha. And then there was the day when I realized that the number of hits per day were comparable to how many I used to get in an entire month. Talk about exponential growth.

Funny thing about my very first post, a year ago today, is that it did not include ANY recipe. It was more of a “ahem, I am here!” post. Day two was my first recipe post – Devil’s Food Nutella Cake. Guess that was a sign of things to come, huh?

Enough reminiscing, I need to tell you about the special treat for today! It was inspired by, until now, the best cupcake I’ve made on here – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. This one today is a chocolate cupcake and instead of a cookie dough ball in the middle, its a cake batter truffle. But it didn’t stop there with the cake batter/funfetti-ness, oh no sir, I just HAD to top it all off with cake batter cream cheese frosting! I didn’t think it got any better than cream cheese frosting. Of course that was then followed by sprinkles. Cannot celebrate a blog anniversary without sprinkles now can we!?

These cupcakes are for you, all my readers who have saved me from talking to myself and my fellow bloggers that have helped me along the way. I wish I could share them with you in real life! One day… I should warn you though, making these cupcakes sprouted several more truffle-stuffed cupcake ideas in my noggin. So I hope you stick around for another year!

FUNFETTI TRUFFLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Makes 24 cupcakes

CAKE BATTER TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour

1 cup yellow cake mix

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

3-4 Tbsp milk

2 Tbsp sprinkles

Directions:

1. Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into 24 one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (can be frozen overnight).

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

24 frozen cake batter truffles

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.   Mix just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Place one frozen truffle in the center of each cupcake. Bake until a toothpick (outside the truffle) comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

CAKE BATTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup white cake mix (MIX–NOT BATTER)

Green food coloring, optional

Sprinkles

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cake mix and beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. If frosting is too thick, mix in a bit of heavy cream or milk until desired consistency is reached. Add food coloring if being used.
2. Once cupcakes are cool, frost generously. Top with sprinkles.

Source: Truffles from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Cupcakes from Everyday Annie. Frosting from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.